Commuters will appreciate the very good isolation and active noise canceling (ANC) from these pebble-like earbuds. Audio tinkerers can play with the EQ settings and optional Dirac HD Sound mode for a pleasant custom sound. Meanwhile, folks interested in brand recognition and retro aesthetics will enjoy the thoughtful design put into the buds and case.

Technically, yes, you can work out with the T5 II ANC, due to its sweat-resistant IPX4 rating. Unfortunately, its large size, finicky fit, and lack of stabilizers or wings make it less than ideal for a lot of athletes.

The general gist of the Klipsch T5 II ANC without Dirac HD Sound looks like a pretty standard “hyped” sound for consumer earphones, though bass sub-bass and bass notes are markedly boosted without Dirac HD Sound enabled. It may be a good idea to turn off Dirac HD Sound if you plan to work out, as most people like quite a bit more bass when exercising.

Dirac HD Sound essentially finesses and refines the frequency response to make it more versatile across genres. Dirac minimizes the exaggerated bass and treble notes, and most listeners will want to leave it on. Midrange notes sound pretty similar on either mode, so it’s a matter of your bass and treble preferences.